The Manager gives his take on the schedule for the 2019/20 Sky Bet League One campaign.
The 2019/20 fixtures were released at 9am this morning, with Manager Graham Coughlan already looking forward to starting the new season on the right note.
"The league looks strong this year and we will be looking to make the best possible start during the opening block of fixtures,” said the Rovers boss.
“A trip to Blackpool on the first weekend will please a lot of fans, who I know will travel in great numbers to back the lads and look to make a weekend of it.
“We will have good memories of our trip to Bloomfield Road last season and the opening run of games will offer a great opportunity to see where we are as a team.
“If I'm honest, I would have liked to play one the fancied teams for promotion early doors, as it would be a good indicator to where we are as a unit, but saying that, with this division, it isn't always clear at the start who will be challenging for the top spots.”
“We face Tranmere early on and teams that have come up to a new league are always riding on a wave following on from promotion and that will be a good test for us.”
December stands out as a busy month, with no less than five games in a 22-day period, which includes long away trips to both Portman Road and Highbury.
“December looks like a full on month, with a lot of travelling, given that we play Fleetwood on the 29th, which could be seen as inconsiderate for our travelling fans at that time of year.
“We obviously prepare for such scenarios and as professionals, we learn to manage and adapt our workloads to deal with the busy period of fixtures.
“We have the trip to MK Dons on the New Year's Day, which isn't too far to travel, but it’s on the back of the long trip to Fleetwood.
“The amount of extra travelling stands out this season and it goes without saying that we appreciate all the backing we get away from home, with supporters spending their hard earned money on following us around the country.
“Naturally, there's a lot of excitement, now the fixtures are released and we know who we will be facing and when.
“Our job is to get the lads up and ready for the first weekend of August and that work starts next week when they report back for pre-season.”